Catherine Marquis-Favre

Bio: Catherine Marquis-Favre is an academic researcher from University of Lyon. The author has contributed to research in topics: Annoyance & Noise. The author has an hindex of 14, co-authored 43 publications receiving 599 citations. Previous affiliations of Catherine Marquis-Favre include École Normale Supérieure.

Noise and its effects - : A review on qualitative aspects of sound. Part II: Noise and annoyance

Abstract: The first part of this review has presented the principal effects of noise on human health and some physical and psychoacoustic ratings used to describe the quantitative and qualitative aspects of noise. This second part presents several factors leading to annoyance, some scaling techniques of annoyance and of qualitative aspects of noise generating annoyance, and finally, the case of annoyance caused by combined noise sources. The aim of this review, divided into two parts, is to provide the different persons involved in acoustics with a broad view and a non exhaustive list of different studies which have been carried out in the area of noise scaling.

Noise and its effects - : A review on qualitative aspects of sound. Part I: Notions and acoustic ratings

Abstract: Psychoacoustics has gradually developed following contributions at the end of the XIXth century and at the beginning of the XXth century from physicists such as Helmholtz, Holder and Campbell, and also from psychophysicists such as Sanford, Thurstone and Stevens. During the last decade this area has attracted considerable interest from the whole acoustic community due to the pressure from governments which have become more aware of noise effects and of people's desire to be less exposed to noise. For several years the need to take human perception into account has been shown in many studies, the objectives of which have been to understand physical phenomena and to quantify noise. Due to the multi-disciplinary nature of studies dealing with the qualitative aspects of sounds, research is spread over various disciplines and so a review of this subject has been necessary to many acousticians. The aim of this review is to provide the different persons involved in acoustics with a synthesis of the tools used in psychoacoustics for the subjective assessment of noise. This review is, of course, not exhaustive but presents studies which may act as starting points for anyone wishing to go more deeply into a particular aspect. The present paper sums up the principal effects of noise on human health and gives a presentation of some physical and psychoacoustic ratings used for describing the quantitative and qualitative aspects of noise.

Environmental Psychology Matters

Abstract: Environmental psychology examines transactions between individuals and their built and natural environments. This includes investigating behaviors that inhibit or foster sustainable, climate-healthy, and nature-enhancing choices, the antecedents and correlates of those behaviors, and interventions to increase proenvironmental behavior. It also includes transactions in which nature provides restoration or inflicts stress, and transactions that are more mutual, such as the development of place attachment and identity and the impacts on and from important physical settings such as home, workplaces, schools, and public spaces. As people spend more time in virtual environments, online transactions are coming under increasing research attention. Every aspect of human existence occurs in one environment or another, and the transactions with and within them have important consequences both for people and their natural and built worlds. Environmental psychology matters.

WHO Environmental Noise Guidelines for the European Region: A Systematic Review on Environmental Noise and Annoyance

Abstract: Background: This paper describes a systematic review and meta-analyses on effects of environmental noise on annoyance. The noise sources include aircraft, road, and rail transportation noise as well as wind turbines and noise source combinations. Objectives: Update knowledge about effects of environmental noise on people living in the vicinity of noise sources. Methods: Eligible were published studies (2000-2014) providing comparable acoustical and social survey data including exposure-response functions between standard indicators of noise exposure and standard annoyance responses. The systematic literature search in 20 data bases resulted in 62 studies, of which 57 were used for quantitative meta-analyses. By means of questionnaires sent to the study authors, additional study data were obtained. Risk of bias was assessed by means of study characteristics for individual studies and by funnel plots to assess the risk of publication bias. Main Results: Tentative exposure-response relations for percent highly annoyed residents (%HA) in relation to noise levels for aircraft, road, rail, wind turbine and noise source combinations are presented as well as meta-analyses of correlations between noise levels and annoyance raw scores, and the OR for increase of %HA with increasing noise levels. Quality of evidence was assessed using the GRADE terminology. The evidence of exposure-response relations between noise levels and %HA is moderate (aircraft and railway) or low (road traffic and wind turbines). The evidence of correlations between noise levels and annoyance raw scores is high (aircraft and railway) or moderate (road traffic and wind turbines). The evidence of ORs representing the %HA increase by a certain noise level increase is moderate (aircraft noise), moderate/high (road and railway traffic), and low (wind turbines). Strengths and Limitations: The strength of the evidence is seen in the large total sample size encompassing the included studies (e.g., 18,947 participants in aircraft noise studies). Main limitations are due to the variance in the definition of noise levels and %HA. Interpretation: The increase of %HA in newer studies of aircraft, road and railway noise at comparable Lden levels of earlier studies point to the necessity of adjusting noise limit recommendations. Funding: The review was funded by WHO Europe.

Exploring the relationship between noise sensitivity, annoyance and health-related quality of life in a sample of adults exposed to environmental noise.

Abstract: The relationship between environmental noise and health is poorly understood but of fundamental importance to public health. This study estimated the relationship between noise sensitivity, noise annoyance and health-related quality of life in a sample of adults residing close to the Auckland International Airport, New Zealand. A small sample (n = 105) completed surveys measuring noise sensitivity, noise annoyance, and quality of life. Noise sensitivity was associated with health-related quality of life; annoyance and sleep disturbance mediated the effects of noise sensitivity on health.

Understanding and Managing Experiential Aspects of Soundscapes at Muir Woods National Monument

Abstract: Research has found that human-caused noise can detract from the quality of the visitor experience in national parks and related areas. Moreover, impacts to the visitor experience can be managed by formulating indicators and standards of quality as suggested in park and outdoor recreation management frameworks, such as Visitor Experience and Resource Protection (VERP), as developed by the U.S. National Park Service. The research reported in this article supports the formulation of indicators and standards of quality for human-caused noise at Muir Woods National Monument, California. Phase I identified potential indicators of quality for the soundscape of Muir Woods. A visitor “listening exercise” was conducted, where respondents identified natural and human-caused sounds heard in the park and rated the degree to which each sound was “pleasing” or “annoying.” Certain visitor-caused sounds such as groups talking were heard by most respondents and were rated as annoying, suggesting that these sounds may be a good indicator of quality. Loud groups were heard by few people but were rated as highly annoying, whereas wind and water were heard by most visitors and were rated as highly pleasing. Phase II measured standards of quality for visitor-caused noise. Visitors were presented with a series of 30-second audio clips representing increasing amounts of visitor-caused sound in the park. Respondents were asked to rate the acceptability of each audio clip on a survey. Findings suggest a threshold at which visitor-caused sound is judged to be unacceptable, and is therefore considered as noise. A parallel program of sound monitoring in the park found that current levels of visitor-caused sound sometimes violate this threshold. Study findings provide an empirical basis to help formulate noise-related indicators and standards of quality in parks and related areas.